Weldor&#39;s slag hammer



Aug. 22, 1967 E. NOVOTNY 3,336,647

WELDOR S SLAG HAMMER Filed Sept. 30, 1965 Fig. 2

Ernest Navamy IN VEN TOR.

f/L BY United States Patent 3,336,647 WELDORS SLAG HAMMER Ernest Novotny, Paseo, Wash. (Box 874, Bridgeport, Wash. 98813) Filed Sept. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 491,576 6 Claims. (Cl. 29-81) This invention relates to slag chipping and shearing hammers such as are functionally designed and structurally devised for use by weldors and has to do with a hammer which is uniquely styled and made for practical use by are weldors but expressly made for multipurpose use by versatile weldors, especially those classified as field weldors.

The pointstressed in the preceding general statement of this invention is significant here because of the fact that all commonly known prior art slag chipping hammers have been designed for use by are weldors, whereas the hammer herein disclosed lends itself to efficient and satisfactory use by both arc weldors and so-called combination weldors who are called upon to cope with and handle many and ever-varying field welding problems. As is known, a field weldor encounters many situations where, for instance, he has to cut boltholes with an oxygen-acetylene torch, which is also true with respect to shop weldors when on construction jobs. Considered from the standpoint of a construction weldor, the improved hammer herein disclosed can be used as a wedge for shifting and moving a small load or, generally speaking, as an easyout, and for numerous other requirements where an ordinary chipping hammer is impractical for use. When in the field, where special purpose tools are usually not available, this improved hammer can be, and presently is being, aptly and effectively put to use in handling tasks which are not otherwise capable of accomplishment.

One improvement resides in the provision of unique unitary head means wherein the head proper (at one end) is advantageous compared to any known chipping hammer. An equally significant and important feature resides in the fact that the onepiece head means also embodies a special multipurpose elongated tapering prong. The head easily and readily cleaves and shears slag from steel after it has been flame cut and saves valuable time and labor in that it handles the job faster and, quite importantly, leaves a good clean surface. Then, too, it can be and is effectually used to shear off excess weld and even small rivets and bolts. In fact, it can be used in many different positions unlike the single position of use of ordinary slag hammers.

Further, when removing slag with the hammer shown the slag is chipped and impelled in a direction away from the weldor and reduces to a minimum the likelihood of face and eye injuries. Also, because of the block-like form of the head and its sharp-edge flat face and balanced position it can be used as a very effective pounder to smooth or peen welds or drive objects into an intended position.

The tapered prong, which is preferably rectangular in cross-section, functions to ream a hole which has been flame cut. The fact is such holes can be cut closer to a required dimension and the roughly cut surfaces can be smoothed in a desired manner. This reaming step also cleans out the slag which if left would ruin the threads of a bolt threaded into the hole. The point at the tip of the prong is used with requisite nicety for chipping slag from arc welds.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing an improved weldors slag hammer constructed in accordance with the present invention and also showing one manner of using the same with the shear head removing slag from a piece of steel plate that has been cut with a hand-held cutting torch;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation showing the hammer on an enlarged scale and illustrating, somewhat diagrammatically, the manner in which the flat or planar impact face of the hammer head can be pounded against a work surface with the handle means assuming a position which provides clearance for the hand which grips the handle;

FIGURE 3 is a view in elevation looking at the overall head means in a direction from right to left in FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is an edge or side elevation wherein the left or rearward side of the head is provided with an addenda;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the hammer head shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive; and

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the modification appearing in FIG. 4.

By way of introduction to the description of the details it is to be pointed out that the head means in all of the views is identical, that is including the slight modification depicted in FIGS. 4 and 6. Accordingly, like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the description of the unitary or onepiece head means. The head means is denoted in its entirety by the numeral 8 and the handle by the numeral 10. The central body portion of this head means is designated by the numeral 12 and embodies an oval or equivalent aperture or opening 14 (FIG. 3) which is lined up with a rearwardly projecting neck 16, this neck and opening providing what is commonly referred to in the art as an eye. The end portion 18 0f the handle is tapered and anchored in the eye means 14 and 16 in a generally well known manner. The head proper at one end of the unit or head means 8 is denoted by the numeral 20 and the elongated prong at the other end portion is denoted at 22.

The head 20 is characterized by a shank 24 which depends from one side of the eye means and which merges into the blocklike head terminating in a planar or flat impact face 26 having a first linearly straight edge 28 which may be conveniently referred to as the front edge (rear edge in FIG. 1) and which is spaced in parallel relationship to the rear straight across edge 30. The vertical front surface of the head is convex as at 32 and the rear surface 34 is flat. The head also has vertical flat edges 36 and 38 (FIG. 3) and shoulders 40 into which the narrowed end portion 42 of the shank 24 merges.

The prong 22 is integrated with the eye and body portion at a point diametrically opposite the point of attachment of the shank 24 and comprises an elongated blade 44. This blade is gradually tapered toward its free or upper end and is rectangular in cross-section and merges into a tip 46 which is appropriately pointed in the manner show-n.

Considering the head means 8 from end-to-end it will be noted that it is bowed longitudinally and presents a generally convex surface at the right or front (FIGS. 2 and 4) and a concave contour or surface at the left or rear. It follows that the curvature of the shank and head disposes the fiat impact face 26 at a slight oblique angle which slopes or slants gradually upwardly and rearwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the handle 10.

The preferred embodiment of the hammer is one utilizing a Wooden handle and a onepiece steel head which is preferably sixteen ounces. The general curve of the head means is for easier and more effective operation. The weight is centered to the point of impact. The impacting and shear face 26 is preferably rectangular in shape and has sharp leading and trailing edges 28 and 30. The shear face of the shear head is at such an angle that when the shear face comes in full contact with the fiat surface there is sufficient clearance between the hammer handle and work surface to accommodate the grip of the operators hand. The shank 24 was designed to reduce the weight at the lower part of the hammer head and to retain their requisite factors of length and balance. The head including the shank 24 is equal in weight to but shorter in length than the blade-like tapering prong 22.

FIG. 1 shows one manner of using the tool and illustrates the position and angle of the head means and handle removing slag from a piece of steel plate that has been cut with a hand-held gas-cutting torch. In this working position the handle of the hammer is at a thirty degree to forty degree angle to the work and it is the edge 28 which is primarily in service removing the slag with the desired shearing action.

As previously mentioned, the rectangular tapered prong lends itself to practical use for reaming boltholes after having been flame cut. With the construction shown the hole can be cut closer to a prescribed dimension and the roughened surfaces can be smoothed out with the rectangular tapered prong. The terminal point 46 is used for chipping slag from are welds.

Whereas the straight edged flat face of the head 20 is rectangular in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5, it is within the purview of the invention to add a segmental component 48 to the rear surface 30 of the head to provide a rearwardly convexed supplement or addenda 50, whereby as shown in FIG. 6 the aforementioned edge 28 is sill straight across while the edge 52 is curvilineal. This embodiment of the hammer is expressly designed and adapted for use as a fitters slag hammer and is accordingly better adapted for pipe work. Otherwise and as shown in FIG. 4 it is the same in construction as the head means already covered.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A hammer of the class described comprising a linearly straight wooden handle, and metal head means having a median body portion provided with a socketed eye into which the forward end of said handle is fittingly secured, a shank integrally joined to and extending lengthwise from one side of said eye and terminating in an enlarged block-like shouldered head, said head having a curvilineal convex forward surface, a flat rearward surface, and a flattened leading end surface disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said handle and providing an impact face with a linearly straight forward marginal edge, and an elongated prong integrally joined with a diametrically opposite side of said eye, said prong 5 being rectangular in cross-section and proportionally decreasing in cross-sectional dimension from said body portion and eye to a free leading end and the latter being pointed.

2. The structure according to claim 1, and wherein said impact face is rectangular in plan, the weight of said head means being concentrated and centered toward the work area of said impact face.

3. The hammer according to claim 2, and wherein said impact face is gradually sloped rearwardly and up- 5 wardly toward said handle, whereby when said face comes into full contact with a fiat work surface and the handle is being grasped in the operators hand, ample clearance between the hand and work surface is attained and assured.

4. The hammer according to claim 1, and wherein said impact face is D-shaped in plan and embodies said straight across forward edge and an arcuately curved rearward edge.

5. The hammer according to claim 1, and wherein the overall head means is of a prescribed weight for feasible use by a field weldor, 16 ounces for example, and is longitudinally bowed so as to provide said forward convex side and rearward concave side for easy and effective control and usage, said head, gauged from the central long axis of said handle to the face thereof, being of a length less than the length of the prong from the same gauge point but of a weight equal to the weight of the prong and the mass of the weight of the head means, as a unit, being centered and oriented to said impact face.

6. The structure defined in claim 5, said prong being designed and adapted for reaming fiame cut boltholes, said point being adapted for chipping slag from are welds, and said head having the added capability of shearing small rivets and bolts.

References Cited WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, ]R., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HAMMER OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING A LINEARLY STRAIGHT WOODEN HANDLE, AND METAL HEAD MEANS HAVING A MEDIAN BODY PORTION PROVIDED WITH A SOCKETED EYE INTO WHICH THE FORWARD END OF SAID HANDLE IS FITTINGLY SECURED, A SHANK INTEGRALLY JOINED TO AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID EYE AND TERMINATING IN AN ENLARGED BLOCK-LIKE SHOULDERED HEAD, SAID HEAD HAVING A CURVILINEAL CONVEX FORWARD SURFACE, A FLAT REARWARD SURFACE, AND A FLATTENED LEADING END SURFACE DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID HANDLE AND PROVIDING AN IMPACT FACE WITH A LINEARLY STRAIGHT FORWARD MARGINAL EDGE, AND AN ELONGATED PRONG INTEGRALLY JOINED WITH A DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID EYE, SAID PRONG BEING RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND PROPORTIONALLY DECREASING IN CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION FROM SAID BODY PORTION AND EYE OT A FREE LEADING END AND THE LATTER BEING POINTED. 